If there’s one date you should definitely take note of, it’s 3 July.
No, not because someone famous is coming to Singapore.
Because supermarkets will start charging money for plastic bags from that date onwards.
Previously, it was announced by the National Environment Agency (NEA) that it would be compulsory for supermarkets with an annual turnover of at least $100 million to charge at least $0.05 for each plastic bag that customers take with them when buying groceries.
These supermarkets include Sheng Siong, NTUC FairPrice, Giant, Cold Storage and Prime Supermarket.
And it seems like different supermarkets are taking different approaches to implementing these charges.
For one, Sheng Siong announced that it will be setting up self-service machines that dispense plastic bags.
Sheng Siong to Roll Out Machines that Dispense Plastic Bags, Five Outlets Already Equipped With Them
And here’s how the machines work.
When customers go through the self-checkout, they can click the plastic bag icon on the bottom right corner of the screen.
The machine will then dispense the plastic bag(s), which will be priced at $0.05 each.
Customers can also select the number of plastic bags they need based on how many things they have purchased, so don’t worry; you won’t be required to carry two weeks’ worth of groceries home in just one plastic bag.
The plastic bags issued by Sheng Siong only exist in one size, so customers do not have to choose which size they want.
Currently, Sheng Siong has already installed self-service machines that dispense plastic bags at five of their outlets.
These outlets are at:
- Marsiling Mall
- Hougang Rivercourt
- Junction 10
- 440 Bukit Batok West Avenue 8
- 31A Margaret Drive
But there’s no need to avoid these outlets like the plague for now because Sheng Siong isn’t actually charging its customers for plastic bags yet.
Instead, the machines have been installed there in advance for staff members to guide customers in using the machine.
When Shin Min Daily News reporters visited the outlets at Marsiling and Hougang, staff members were also stationed at the machine to remind customers to bring their own shopping bags if they do not want to pay extra money for plastic bags from 3 July onwards.
A Sheng Siong spokesperson also revealed that the machines will soon be installed at all68 Sheng Siong outlets islandwide.
As for other supermarkets, it seems like they will be taking a different approach to collecting the charges for plastic bags.
Both NTUC FairPrice and Giant Supermarket have announced that they will be basing it on “trust”, which basically means it’s up to customers’ conscience to pay for the plastic bags.
For NTUC FairPrice, the supermarket revealed that it will be adding a barcode at the bottom left corner of the self-checkout screen.
Customers will then be prompted to scan the barcode with the handheld scanner; they will have to scan the barcode multiple times based on how many plastic bags they take.